Hi everyone!
I am planning on a trip to Japan in early April, and right now I am thinking we’d do 4 nights in Tokyo -> 1 night in Kawaguchiko -> 1 night in Hakone -> 3 nights in Kyoto (and 3 nights in Osaka after that).
Right now I’m trying to figure out the most convenient place to stay in Hakone for both (1) arriving from Kawaguchiko and (2) heading off to Kyoto the next day, while being able to enjoy the sights and activities that Hakone has to offer.
From Kawaguchiko it seems like we can do Kawaguchiko Station -> brief detour to Oshino-Hakkai -> Gotemba Station -> Sengoku (quick lunch around the station here) -> take the Hakone Tozan Bus to Togendai -> ropeway to Owakudani -> Sounzen -> Gora. Is this correct thinking?
From there, I’m wondering if we should go from Gora -> Hakone-Yumoto, which looks like it would cut down on travel time to Kyoto the next day (I am reading that one would go Hakone-Yumoto -> Odawara -> shinkansen to Kyoto).
Alternatively, we could stay the night in Gora. This would cut down on travel time during our stay in Hakone, but in both cases, it’s not clear to me how much time it would take up to travel between these two points.
I was wondering what travelers experienced with the area would recommend, broadly speaking, if one were to aim for maximizing their enjoyment of this time? And feel free to let me know if there’s anything I may be missing or unaware of. 🙂
Thank you very much!
1 comment
Keep in mind you usually have to check in by 5 or 6 pm at ryokan if meal is included, so it could give you a bit more time for visiting up to the point you reach Gora.